Origins
by StoneWriter
Summary: The Iksar Brigand, Vyle the Venomheart, seeks revenge against a group of pirates that murdered his family on the day of his birth. Part 1 of the Vyle Saga.
1. Chapter 1

The Birth of a Snake

Morning mist passed through the cold outpost. Quiet bird songs could be heard in the distance. All the huts in the outpost remained silent as their occupants still slept. One hut, however, was active. The birth of a child had taken place in the hut of an Iksar family. The baby Iksar resembled his reptilian father, with small, developing spines protruding out of the back of his head and scales as black as his fathers. Its eyes, however, remained a bright shade of green, like his mother. It cried and growled it was cradled in his mother's arms.

"What shall we call him, my dearest Fazzir?" the father said as he gazed upon his newborn child, cradled in Fazzir's arms.

"Vyle, my dearest husband. We shall call him Vyle." The small reptile stopped it's crying and looked up at his mother. He grinned, revealing his already developing teeth; sharp as daggers.

"Oh, and what a fitting name it is." Both parents looked at their newborn son and smiled.

_**BOOM!**_

The resounding blast filled the ears of the outpost. The father stood up and made towards the door. A greatsword leaned against the wall next to him. He grabbed it and shouldered it. "I'll be back. Hide him." He said, pointing his open hand at his son. Fazzir nodded in approval and placed him in a basket.

"Please, be quiet Vyle." Fazzir whispered, completely failing to silence the newborn child. Vyle kept on weeping and growling as Fazzir put the top on the basket. Another resounding boom filled the air along with the screams of people. The clash of metal against metal was as numerous as it was loud. Laughter filled the sky as people were slayed. One by one, everyone was killed as the unknown enemy flooded the village. "Stay out of my home, you brigands! STAY AWAY FROM ME! AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!" Fazzir screamed in agony as she was stabbed to death.

"Yaar, hand 'e a torch matey, we're burnin' this forsaken town straight ta' Hell! Yaar!" The gruff voice rang out through the hut. Vyle continued to cry as one of the henchmen lit a torch. "Shhh, listen there me matey's, tis' the cryin' of a babe. In the basket yonder, grab 'im!" Vyle felt a ruff hand grab him by one of his arms. He continued to wail as he looked at the people who slaughtered his mother and father. "Weeell, look at what we got here. Tis' a vicious little un'." The leader said as Vyle bit his hand. The leader simply laughed and pulled his hand away. "Leave the child be, this un' doesn't deserve to die." He said as he dropped the child outside of his now burning house. "I hope to see ya' again, little un'. If ya' still feel raw bout' this, you can come find me. Now matey's, of to Qeynos!" A loud roar filled Vyle's ears as the band of human pirates walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Twenty-seven Years Later

The bar in the Scale Yard of Freeport was packed with all types of ruffians and scum. Traitor Barbarians and thieving Ratonga filled the seats of the bar. A group of Trolls sat in a huddle in the back corner. The ogre bartender was cleaning glasses with a rather filthy rag, making them possibly even dirtier. A large, muscular, Iksar sat in between to empty seats as he sipped his strong beverage. The doors of the bar burst open and two humans tramped in. "An' then, an' then, e' went up to Ralph an' said 'Scuse me, you got ur' silver pieces?'" The first human joked to the second one and the both sat in the unoccupied seat on either side of the Iksar. "Hey there, ol' chap. How are things goin' in that bucket o' rust you call a house? HAHAHA!" The other Human piped up and said,

"Yeah, ol' Vyle Hassir, me lad? Ow' are things goin'?" He put his hand on Vyle's shoulder. Vyle grabbed the hand on his shoulder and twisted it 180 degree's, instantly breaking it. The Human screamed in agony. The other Human stood up and began to pull out his knife, only to find the tip of Vyle's rapier pointed at his throat. The bar went silent.

"Vyle Hassir is dead. I am Vyle the Venomheart. Do not forget this, or this steel will be shoved down your throat." He pulled the rapier from the Humans throat and released the hand of the other Human who collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain. Vyle sheathed his rapier and set 3 copper pieces on the bar. "Smash," he said to the barkeep. "Show these two out." The ogre complied to the order and jumped over the bar and grabbed the two by the collars of their tattered shirts. He proceeded in chucking them out as Vyle walked by. "Don't go to hard on them." He patted the Ogre on the back.


	3. Chapter 3

Anyone Want To Smash Some Skulls?

Vyle sat down against the outer wall of the Scale Yard bar and looked up at the sky. 'Cloudy, very cloudy. Overcast from the ocean.' The Iksar thought to himself as he continued to look at the ever darkening sky.

"BOSS! BOSS! **BOSS!**" yelled a voice which reverberated through the alley behind the bar. Vyle looked up and watched a female Ratonga run up to him and saluted. She had a solid black coat of fur with multiple golden hoops on each large ear.

"Go ahead, Souris. What is it you want?"

"Boss, everyone is banding together at the main gate o'er yonder." She pointed at the menacing black gate of Freeport. "Today is the day we assault the Gnolls and finish their raids once an' for all." She sat down next to her life-long friend. "Ya' see, we need as many field Captains as possible, _an_' many voted that you were good Capn' material." She looked up at Vyle who looked down at her.

"Alright, I'll take the offer." Souris smiled widely. She stood up and started making her way towards the main gate.

"Come on, then Capn'!" Souris yelled back at Vyle. He stood up and started to follow his friend.

"You know," Vyle started. "We could get Smash to come, too. He loathes Gnolls." Vyle turned and saw Smash emptying the garbage into heaps on the alley floor behind his bar. "Smash!" Vyle yelled to his Ogre friend. "You want to smash some Gnolls?" Smash looked back and shook his head.

"Vyle, ya' know any other day I would, but, business is roarin'."

"Suit yourself…" Vyle started to walk off. Smash looked back at the bar and then towards Vyle with a look of wanting.

"Oi! Vyle! Wait for me! Don't you leave me back ere'!" Smash bellowed as he ran towards Vyle and Souris who were waiting by the exit to the Scale Yard.


	4. Chapter 4

They Never Saw It Coming…

"Whoa." Vyle uttered under his breath as he, Smash, and Souris walked up to the extremely crowded gate. It appeared that all of Lucan's forces were gathered to one spot. "I guess the Overlord really wants those Gnolls dead." Vyle said. The others nodded and proceeded to the front of the ranks of soldiers lined up at the gate. Vyle stood in front of one battalion and Smash and Souris stood on either side of him.

"Heh," Souris started. "Those stupid Gnolls will never even see it coming till it's too late." Souris, whom was a powerful Necromancer (One who toys with the dead, bringing them un-life.), pulled out a gnarled staff capped with a jade dragon skull. It pulsed with a sickly green glow. Smash nodded in agreement to Souris' comment and cracked his knuckles, silencing the surrounding area. He pulled out a pair of wicked knuckles, slipping them on his enormous hands. Twisting spines protruded from the knuckles. "Ya know, Vyle ere' is pretty good with a sword. Go head', show em'."

Vyle put his weight on the sheathe of his sword and leaned on it. He rolled his eyes. He straightened up and kicked the sheathe into the air. As it fell in front of him, he caught it with lightning reflexes. He pulled his rapier from it and started spinning it around his body with amazing speed and skill. It went faster and faster until it seemed to be a blur. He suddenly stopped it, sliding it back into the sheathe. A small applause came from the crowd. Vyle bowed accordingly.

"Alright," Vyle said, looking up from his bow. "We march towards the Gnoll encampment this morn. Remember; show these _beasts_ no mercy, for none shall be given in return." Vyle looked at the ranks of soldiers, the battalion was a fit fighting force, ready to pummel anything that stood in its way. "Today, we fight for the safety of all of Freeport. Those of you with family, remember that if you die fighting out there, that you died for the good of us all, including your loved ones." A 'Here, here.' rang out through the ranks. Vyle smiled and continued to stare at the soldiers. Silence was closing in the crowd of warriors. Vyle unsheathed his sword again and pointed it towards the heavens. "TO WAR!" A roar of approval rang out through the city and the mighty black gates opened.


	5. Chapter 5

We Got Them Good…Right?

Vyle, Smash, and Souris marched forward, Freeport at their backs, along with a legion of savage and brutal warriors and mages.

"So," Smash said, looking towards Vyle. "Do ya' think that these Gnolls will be any trouble?"

"I think this will be like killing bugs. _But,_" he paused, still marching forward. "We should always be cautious. You never can truly tell how a battle can turn out."

"Well said, Capn'!" Souris piped up, using her staff as a walking stick.

Hours of marching passed until they legion finally came in sight of the Gnoll encampment. Vyle curled his hand into a fist and threw it into the air, halting the army.

"Souris," Vyle whispered. "Get the mages to give em' some well placed fireballs, eh?" Souris nodded approvingly and made the single to start firing. In a matter of seconds, half of the large encampment was up in flames.

"Cease fire!" Vyle shouted out. The barrage of flames halted. Vyle leaned his head towards Smash, speaking in a low voice. "Take alf' the army round' the camp, and assault it from behind. I'll cover the front." Smash made the signal and half of the army started marching towards the back of the camp. Vyle drew out his word and pointed at the burning encampment. "CHARGE!" He bellowed as he ran towards the camp with another roar of approval following his order.

They charged into the camp, slaying the Gnolls that rushed them. Vyle had gone of on his own little killing spree, slaughtering anything that got in his way. He made his way to the housings of the beasts and kicked the hut door open. He saw a mother Gnoll and two Gnoll pups on the ground, huddling in the corner, whimpering. He lifted his sword and roared. The two pups began crying, along with the mother. He stopped the battle-cry and looked down at the cowering family. He lost his balance and fell straight on his bottom. His sword stuck in the ground and he couldn't stand.

"Oh my God," he whispered. "What have I done? Have I become as wretched as those…_pirates?_" He thought back to his childhood, how his family was brutally killed by that _beast_ of a human. 'These Gnolls aren't my enemy.' He thought. He stood up and grabbed his sword. He took a glance at the family, feeling torn. He walked out of the hut and roared, "We're done here. They don't have enough left to attack a small bird." Smash, whose half of the army had done considerable damage, walked over to Vyle.

"But, they aren't all dead…" Smash was cut short by the rapier pointing at his heart. Smash gulped as the blade point didn't shift.

"Are you questioning my authority?" He roared at his companion. Smash shook his head looking shocked. "Look at me; I'm taking my anger out on one of my only friends."

"It's alright, Vyle. You have a lot of stress on you."

"Let's just depart. I'm sick of this foul stench of death." Vyle said, looking disgusted. "By the way, were is Souris?" The look on Smash's face said it all. "No." Vyle whispered.

"She and the mages were ambushed by a group of Qeynosian troops. They didn't stand a chance."

Vyle stared in disbelief, and for only the second time in his life, he shed tears for another. He walked off, stopping only to tell Smash to round up the troops and bring them home and report the victory. Vyle had walked up to the hill in which he found Souris' body. He kneeled down and picked it up and started his march back to Freeport. They had won the battle, but to Vyle the Venomheart, this was a defeat.

End Part 1


End file.
